Editors Note: This is NOT a paid political advertisement or endorsed by anyone other than the writer / author of this blog. On Monday, August 19th, Democratic Presidential candidate Julián Castro unveiled a platform focused on advancing the welfare of animals around the globe, both domestic and wildlife. It would raise standards for factory farms […]

They said it couldn’t happen. They said wild salmon would never breach penned-up fish farms. They were wrong. And that’s a big problem. On June 11, 2019, members from the ƛaʔuukʷiʔatḥ / Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation, including Tribal Parks Guardians and members of the Clayoquot Sound Indigenous Salmon Alliance, boarded and inspected open net pen […] […]

President Trump’s declaration of a national emergency has escalated tensions all across the southern border. The large majority of residents who live near the Mexican border don’t want the Wall built. Their reasons include fear of the government’s use of eminent domain, the high probability of flooding from a built wall, concern of escalating tensions […] […]

Just when you thought your food choices were clear and safe. UK firm The John Innes Centre has applied for permission to plant experimental genetically modified wheat and broccoli in open fields at their farm outside Norwich, in the United Kingdom. The research company hopes to begin two small-scale field trials in April. In 2017, […]

When you consider our nation’s health, the quality of our food, its decreasing nutritional value and the increased degradation of our farmland, it’s not a pretty picture — and the challenges related to these issues keep growing. By 2050 the world’s population will likely reach close to 9 billion people. To feed everyone, we’ll need […]

As yet another example of how out of touch we are with Nature and the vital role of its creatures, now there’s a controversy as to whether “Canadian governments, industry and wildlife management groups” should work to save wildlife seriously effected after an oil spill or make the “tough” choice to euthanize these creatures.

The question, raised by the Western Canada Marine Response Corp., the federal government-sanctioned but industry-funded organization responsible for West Coast spill cleanups, argues that “for non-endangered species that are heavily oiled, “a decision has to be made to euthanize.”

They go on to state ““The dollars that would have been spent trying to (manage) the rehab of species that may be beyond rehab, and the fines associated with the polluter, should be (spent) on wildlife centers, stream management projects, etc., etc., where the dollars will make a difference.”

But the author of the complaints at Western Canada Marine Response Corp. went deeper by levying a broader criticism of the federal government’s alleged lack of leadership on both the specific issue of dealing with oiled animals, and Ottawa’s general lack of focus in planning for major spills.

Isn’t it time that Canadian agencies charged with rehabbing oil-soaked wildlife get their resources organized so they’re prepared?Photo by Berger-21lx8by

Planning for major oil spills? Should government entities be concerned with PREVENTING oil disasters, not planning for them? Have we / they become so complacent as to ignore that decisive action can and must be taken to prevent the loss of ANY wild-and/or marine life, regardless of whether or not it’s endangered? Species die off is at a historical all time accelerated high and that runaway train shows no sign of slowing down.

The Canadian agencies charged with wildlife oil clean-up may not be as trained and ready-to-go when faced with oil disasters as those here in the U.S. are. If that’s the case, rather than callously suggesting killing the victims, get the training and resources in play to address the issues effectively.

It seems we humans are again arrogant enough to believe that wildlife and marine life are disposable. Just imagine a world where NONE exist. The bell surely would toll – and quickly – for humanity.